Us Brits are obsessed with the weather, but it's hardly surprising – even a gentle woodland stroll can quickly turn into a muddy mission when faced with a sudden downpour.
So have you ever wondered what the UK's wettest place is? It turns out that there's a scientific explanation behind it – and if you're visiting any time soon, it's probably best to pack your waterproofs.
The UK’s heaviest rainfall occurs where the prevailing weather fronts from the west meet their first sets of uplands, such as Eryri, the Cumbrian hills and the Western Highlands.
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The Met Office operates the country’s most widespread weather monitoring systems and produces rainfall data over 30-year averaging periods, the most recent being 1990–2020.
Where is the wettest place in the UK?
Over this time, the wettest place in the UK has been Styhead in the Lake District, with an average annual rainfall of 4,590mm. Scotland’s wettest location was on Skye with 3,753mm; Wales’ was Cwm Dyli in southern Eryri with 3,247mm; and Northern Ireland’s soggy champion is Cross Hill in Co Tyrone with 2,217mm.
What is the record for rainfall in a single day in the UK?
The UK record for the most rain in a single day comes from Wimborne St Martin (also known as Martinstown) in Dorset, where an extraordinary 279mm fell on 18 July 1955.
Main image: Looking out to the Scafells in the Lake District/Getty
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